AbeBooks has a column wherein readers report unusual things they have found inside used books. Here are some examples:
“A wealthy, elderly woman in my town died a few years ago and left a large book collection with many fine books, much of which wound up in my inventory. The remaining books went to a local thrift shop, including a microwave cookbook which, as it turned out, contained 40 $1000 bills. The book was purchased by someone from out of town who was idling away the time waiting for her ride. She took the money to a local bank to verify its authenticity and that was how we heard about it. She didn't give a cent back to the thrift shop, either. A deeply frustrating experience for many, I can assure you.” ($1000 bills are very collectible and worth far more than their face value, so the buyer of the used cookbook actually got far more than $40,000)
“I found many old banknotes of several countries from the World War II era. Some Japanese, some German with burned edges. I was helping out at Victoria's Books in downtown Arlington Heights, Illinois, a few years ago. I was running from the back room to the front of the store to get the phone and knocked into a massive old dictionary. The notes just came spilling out…”
“…I found a charming child's Christmas card with the inscription "Merry Christmas to Harry from .....(fairly illegible). About two years later while trying to decipher the signature, the name suddenly revealed itself...."from Frank Baum". I sold it about a year later on AbeBooks.com for $2500 to an investment banker…
“A Mickey Mantle rookie baseball card. It was the original 1952 Topps #311 baseball card and not a reprint…
“A golf scorecard signed by Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.”
“A hotel cocktail napkin with a name and a room number on it – from Spain – found inside a 1945 mystery paperback.”
“Inside an old children's book, I found a green card; on one side was written in a child's print: “I love you, do you love me?” The answer was written on the reverse: “ I hate you and nobody loves me.”
I found a letter in a book purchased from a thrift shop. It was written a priest in WW11. It also mentioned San Diego. I called information to see if that name was available. It was. I called and asked the wife if she Knew the priest. She said no. After awhile I thought, no she would not know but her husband might. He did. The priest turned out to be a Great Uncle he had not thought about in years. I sent him the letter and he was able to reunite with him in New York in a Retirement Home for Priests. He was very grateful to me for giving him that wonderful experience to learn more about his family and expecially is Father and Grandfather.
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